Thursday, December 29, 2016

I think we can all collectively agree that
this has been a very hard year. I can only speak for myself of course without
having to force you to agree with me but with world events that I cannot list
here because well, not the purpose of this, I think it is safe to assume a lot
of us have had it exceptionally hard. Amidst all of the chaos that enveloped us
(me) this year, I have come to understand myself more. I realized that I
underestimate my strength and resilience. More than anything, I learned that I am
a survivor and even if I am dropped in the middle of the jungle alone and
afraid, I would survive if I choose to.

I found myself in situations I never
imagined I would ever find myself in and get this…I did not die. This year only
went further to reinforce my belief in the non-permanence of our situations.
“This will pass” became my daily mantra. I had constant bursts of light within
me. I would wake up one morning and nothing would go right the whole day but
then I would go to bed at night thinking “Well look at that. The day has ended
and I am still here.” Few weeks before moving back to Nigeria, I met with one
of my dear friends and while discussing my move, I explained to him how
terrified I was about moving back, how I worked hard to become this person that
I am proud of and how I did not want to change. That was when he said to me
“Only dead men don’t change, Asma” at that moment, I stopped fighting this
battle to hold on to who I was. I became open to change and learning and boy
did I learn.

2016 has redefined the word “deliberate”
for me. I created a system of control for myself called “Deliberate reaction”.
This means that I get to decide how I react to every single occurrence in my
life. I taught myself how to utilize my circumstance to enhance my reaction and
it has been nothing but light in my life. Situations where I would naturally
get angry, I deliberately choose forgiveness. I know what you are thinking,
that I am naïve and what if I get trudged on by not reacting, well, so be it.
In the case of that happening, I would deliberately choose how I react to said
situation. No one is born with hatred, anger and all negative emotions. I found
out that my system kept my spirit elevated and I did not carry toxic energy
with me through my day hence, enhancing my interactions with people.

One other important philosophy that I have
coined for myself using an existing word is to assert my truth without fear of
judgment or persecution and I refer to it as “Assertion”. I know who I am, I
know my values and beliefs and wherever I go, whomever I stand before, I can
confidently and proudly assert my beliefs. Life is a series of reactions fueled
by actions. If my actions are guided by my beliefs, which are backed by my
spirituality, then the series of events in my life would be for me positively. I
am not afraid to be kind and soft. Someone told me that I am too sentimental
and you know what, I am very sentimental, unapologetically in fact, if that is
a flaw then so be it.

I cannot begin to list here how 2016 has
influenced my life, I cannot begin to list the experiences and interactions
that will inevitably shape the course of my future but all I can say is “We
will be fine”.If there is anything we know to be truth in this life, it is that This too shall pass.Sayonaraxoxo